


Find a Penny, Pick It Up, All Day Long You'll Have Good Luck

by EgoDominusTuus, ScarletPassion



Series: Penny's From Heaven [1]
Category: Fallout 3, Fallout 4
Genre: Abuse, Cait can be a softie for Penelope, Companionship, F/F, F/M, Freedom, Ghouls, MacCready doesn't like being bossed around, MacCready doesn't like the bog words, MacCready is a softie for Nel too, Molestation, Penelope likes big words, Rape, Sisterly Love, Slavery, giving ghouls, hancock is awesome, just like sisters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 08:43:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6604324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EgoDominusTuus/pseuds/EgoDominusTuus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletPassion/pseuds/ScarletPassion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penelope gets kidnapped by raiders and makes an unlikely friend on her journey as a slave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vainglorious

There was never a point in my life that I felt truly uncomfortable or self-conscious. I lived my entire life in Rivet City with my mother and father, spending the majority of my time studying medicine or technology and conducting experiments with my mother and father. I was a very good student in all of my classes and was never afraid to stand before my peers or my parent's peers and discuss anything at all.  
I had friends and a family. I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach every single night. I was loved and cared for. I was a social butterfly, flitting through Rivet City and talking to everyone... But now all of that is gone. It was taken from me. Raiders took everything from me, including the clothes off my back.  
Raider's attacked my family and I while we were out in the Capital Wasteland, looking for specimen to study in the labs. My mother and father had asked Dr. Li if they could bring me along this time, since I'm a young woman now. She told them yes and so they brought me. Hardly thirty minutes in we were ambushed by a group of raiders. That's all I can remember, the rest is just... Blank. I think one of the raiders hit me over the head when I tried to run.  
I keep my arms crossed tightly over my chest and my eyes cast downward at my dirty bare feet. There are a ton of raiders milling about the area. There are a number of cages here as well, people dressed in rags sit inside and watch my curiously. So far, I'm the only naked person in sight.  
I hear foot steps approaching me from behind and I tense up, waiting for a blow that doesn't come. Instead, dirty hands wrap around each of my arms and yanks them away from my chest, holding them at my side so that my breasts are fully exposed. I whimper and close my eyes, my heart beating faster and faster as anxiety builds its nest in the middle of my chest. I tell myself over and over again that I should not cry, that it will only encourage him. But my body betrays me and produces tears that run down my face in warm streaks.  
"Aw, don't cry doll. You're the prettiest thing to come through here in a long time..." His voice trails off as he leans closer, his lips grazing my ear and causing goose flesh to cover my exposed skin. "So I just wanna make your first time special 'cause the people who buy you ain't gonna be as gentle." His nearness and greasy voice make me feel dirty.  
His hands slide to my waist, pressing his thumbs into my lower back. I try to keep my breathing under control as his rough hands slide to the front of my body, playing at my lower abdomen and then my thighs. The tears begin flowing more and more as he kisses from my ear down to my shoulder.  
"We can make them all jealous and do it right here..." He chuckles and bites down right where my shoulder and neck meet. I flinch again, my whole body becoming as rigid as a statue.  
Slowly, so slowly, his hands move inward and his fingertips lightly touch me in the one place no person has ever seen much less touched. I bite down on my lower lip to keep it from quivering and to keep myself from making any sounds. The coppery taste of my own blood fills my mouth, telling me that I've bitten down too hard. I keep the pressure there, concentrating on the pain of it rather than the anxiety and embarrassment coursing through me.  
My hands begin shaking when I feel his pelvis pressing against my backside, his hardened prick prodding at me through his pants. I clench my hands into fists so that he won't notice the shaking. I contemplate what would happen if I were to hit him, or maybe even rip his foul dick off of his body. I could get killed, which would be the least of my worries. At least if I'm dead I won't be made a slave. Then again, if I raise a hand to him he may just make this worse. He may embarrass me further and violate me more than once. I can't risk that, I can't handle that. So I stay completely still, ragged breaths leaving my body erratically.  
Just as his finger finds my entrance, a gruff voice orders the raider to knock it off. His lips leave my neck and his hand slowly slides away from my center. His hand trails up my body and cups one of my breast, squeezing it roughly. When I open my eyes I see a burly man covered in armor with a necklace made of something that resembles human bones. He's got his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as he watches his subordinate violate me. For a second the naive part of me believes that he thinks what this man is doing to me is wrong and disgusting, but then I remember that he's a raider and he'd probably be okay with this if I wasn't a product to be sold.  
"Aw c'mon, boss. Just lemme play with'er for a while..." His tone becomes slightly whiney as he says this.  
"We ain't gonna get paid good for damaged products. Put some rags on the bitch and stick her in a pen." The burly man says, his voice ringing with finality.  
The raider sighs and gives my nipple one last pinch before sliding his hands down my body one last time. His hand cups the sensitive area between my legs before completely pulling away. As he walks off he winks at me and licks his hand. I shudder visibly and release the pressure from my lip and unclench my fists.  
Another raider, a woman this time, steps up and tosses a pile of fabric at me. I catch it and eye it curiously. Before I can put it on the woman has me by the elbow and is dragging me towards the row of cages filled with men, women, and children. She stops at the last cage that holds one person. All I can see is the back of their vibrant red head as I'm being shoved inside the small space next to her.  
She doesn't even look up when I accidentally step on her hand. She just moves it away from me. I sigh and begin messing with the fabric in my hands, trying to figure out which piece goes where. I eventually figure it out, bumping into the red haired person next to me every few minutes. They still don't look my way.  
Once I'm properly dressed in the short top that shows my midriff and the skirt that shows more of my legs than I'm comfortable with I sit down in the far corner of the cage. I am careful to keep my distance from my cage mate, not wanting to poke or step on them anymore than I already have.  
I press my fingers to my lip gently and wince at the pain. When I pull my hand away my fingertips have blood on them. I sigh and cross my arms over my chest trying not to think about everything that's happened today. Instead, I choose to think about computers and other technologies and medicine and research and eventually I fall asleep.  
-  
When I wake up my cage mate is staring at me, her vibrant green eyes only a shade or two lighter than my own.

I straighten up, frowning at the dull ache in my head and the throbbing of my lip. I lightly press my fingers against my lip, noticing how swollen it is for the first time.  
"How'd you manage to get a busted lip like that?" My cage mate asks, her heavy Irish accent reminding me of my father's lighter one.  
"I bit it yesterday." I mutter, embarrassed at my self mutilation.  
"I tried that when I was yer age, you'll get the hang of keepin' yer mouth shut without hurtin' yourself eventually." She says, nodding and looking off to where a group of the raiders are sitting together and eating.  
I look over as well, seeing the same raider who'd violated me yesterday staring right at me. I look away quickly, crossing my arms over myself. I'm sure that I must look terrified, because the woman across from me gives me an almost sympathetic look.  
"You won't need to worry 'bout him much longer. Heard there's a wave of owners coming through to buy a few of us. Young lass like you is sure to go." She says, leaning her head back against the bars of our cage.  
"Isn't that worse? I'm going to be sold to someone, just to have them do the same thing to me." I grumble, a bit confused at her logic.   
"Yeah, but they probably won't do it in front of a buncha people. And they won't be raiders." She says with a sigh.   
"I guess you have a point." I mutter, still not enthusiastic to be anywhere except Rivet City with my family.   
We sit in silence for a while. She fiddles with a loose end on her skirt while I admire her red hair, strong chin, and vibrant green eyes. I find myself wondering about how she had gotten here and how long she's been here. I wonder if she's been violated as I have- or worse. From her eerie calmness, I gather she's been a slave for a while. No one could look this... At ease in this environment unless they've been in it for a long time. I hope that I get out of this mess before I become accustomed to this new life.  
Some time later a caravan makes its way into the small camp. Raiders go to meet it, soon after speaking to the man there one of the raiders runs off. She returns with her leader and the burly, mountain of a man speaks to the man leading his caravan. After their exchange the leader pulls aside one of the men and speaks to them before walking off.  
The raider that had been pulled aside begins leading the caravan leader through the aisle of cages filled with men, women, and children of all ages. They do not stop until they reach our cage. The caravan leader is an older man with white hair and a beard. He studies the red headed woman in the front of the cage and then looks over her shoulder at me.  
"Are these two sisters?" The man asks the raider, looking from me to the red haired woman.  
"We are." The red haired woman says before the raider can answer. She cocks one eyebrow at me, a silent question. I nod my head, just barely so that she knows I understand. A little bit, at least.   
"Well. I'll take the pair of them." The man says, puffing out his chest proudly.   
-  
Being a slave is such a... I can't even find words to describe what it's like. I've been raped, beaten, and tortured by a myriad of men and women. The one consistent thing has been Cait. She's taken many more beatings than I have, much more rape, much more torture. She's taken the blame for everything I have done wrong and suffered the consequences.  
The first time she did this I thanked her. She snapped at me, telling me to never mention it and not to get used to it. I thought she had seriously meant that she wouldn't ever do it again, but she did- still does too. I've learned that she's rough around the edges, but she's grown to be... Kind to me. She taught me how to pick pockets and locks and all sorts of other means of getting by without getting caught. She even taught me a few moves to defend myself against other slaves who may try to hurt me. She told me to never use those moves against one of the owners, that doing so would bring down a fate worse than death.  
So for the past two years I've listened to every word she's said to me and done everything she's asked of me. And I've survived. We've been through a lot, mostly being forced to perform sexual acts on one another or on our owners. Sometimes they ask us to hurt one another. I always apologize to her after these things, but she just brushes me off and tells me that it's not my fault I am doing these things. She's right- to a certain extent. I still feel like I have a choice, that I can say no to them and not violate or hurt Cait. I told her this once, but she just laughed at me.  
"One day that'll be an option, Nel, but not today." She's said, her bright green eyes sparkling with hope for the future.   
I always wonder why she would say such a thing. The only ways out are to buy your own freedom or to have an owner buy you and set you free. And both of those options are nearly impossible. But because I've grown to trust Cait, I don't doubt that she's lying to me. These past two years Cait has had my back and has taught me valuable skills that have saved my life. In turn, I've taught Cait how to read and write. I even showed her a few of my tricks with various plants. I can make salves, perfumes, and the occasional pain killers if I have the right stuff. She wasn't really into the whole reading and writing bit, but she told me that my plant tricks would be very useful for the pair of us someday.  
"Alright you lazy bitches, get your asses up and get to work!" I hear a hiss of pain and quickly scramble to my feet before our owner plants his foot in my own backside.  
I see Cait get to her feet, looking pissed yet... Yet I can also see smugness in her firey gaze and I can't help but wonder what she's got planned today. The owner nods once he sees we're both up and leaves the room. I give Cait a puzzled glance, but she shakes her head at me and leaves the room.  
"Why do you look so vainglorious?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her as I follow her to begin the day's chores.  
"What in the Hell is 'vainglorious'?" Cait asks, casting an amused sideways glance at me. She's admitted to me more than once that she admires my ability to use words that no sane person would know right off the top of their head- I take that as a compliment.  
"Vainglorious. Adjective, a word to describe someone or something. Having or showing too much pride in one's abilities or achievements. In other words, you look pretty damn smug." I reply thoughtfully prepping breakfast for the man who'd bought us six months ago. This is the longest any master has kept us, and I don't think he'll be selling us off to anyone else any time soon.  
"Oh do I now?" Cait smirks at me, but says nothing else. I'm now positive that she's up to something.  
I don't even bother asking her about it, knowing good and well that when Cait wants to keep something to herself there's nothing anyone can do to make her spill the beans.  
Our day is somewhat normal, the only difference is that our owner hasn't beaten us as much as usual. He only slapped me once today when I accidentally spilled whiskey on his shirt. Other than that, he ignored the pair of us.  
At dinner time I begin preparing the food and serving it to our owner. He makes a few crude remarks about me, casually placing his hand on my lower back or upper thigh each time I approach with more whiskey or food. I'm unsure of where Cait is and I am unable to go looking for her right now. I hope she comes soon, though. I've always hated being left alone with our owner. He's so dirty and creepy.  
"I think I may have just you tonight, Penelope, my sweet girl." The man says and I resist the urge to cringe.  
"That would be nice, Papa." I manage to get the words out smoothly without choking on them.  
Our owner has insisted that Cait and I call him Papa, but the word has a bad taste in my mouth when I use it to refer to him. To me, before now at least, Papa was what I called my father. I decided I would refer to my father as, well, father now. Calling him Papa just as I do this man does not seem right, not with the things this man has done to me.  
"Oh it will be." He states with that greasy smile of his. I nod at him and glance up, seeing Cait in the doorway. I give her a small smile, one she returns with a wink.  
I tilt my head and cock an eyebrow at her as she enters the room with a large sack in her hands. She walks right up to our owner and drops the sack on the table in front of him. The distinct sound of caps clinking together fills the room for just a moment, and then all is silent. My mouth drops open as hope fills my chest.  
This can't be real.  
"What's this?" Our owner says, a hint of anger in his voice.   
"That is enough caps to buy me freedom and enough to purchase this little lass from you." Cait smirks, her arms crossed vaingloriously.   
"I don't believe you." He spats, getting to his feet and puffing his chest out.  
"Well feel free to go ahead and count 'em all up." Cait says, rolling her eyes in exasperation.   
Our owner huffs and Cait shoulders past him, grabbing me by the elbow and leading me away.  
"You little ungrateful bitches! You won't survive a day out there on your own! Either those raiders will snatch you up and put you back on the market or some mutant will kill you! You better hope you die before you get captured again, cause I'll find you and show you what Hell is!" He rants following us to the doorway of the small dining room. He continues to rant from that spot as Cait and I gather our meager belongings and then leave the house all together.   
"So where do we go from here?" I ask Cait as we creep through the moonlit wasteland.  
"I've got a bit of business to take care of before we do anything. Once it's done I'll bring you back to yer mum and dad and be on my way." She responds with a shrug.  
"Why don't you stay with my parents and I? There's plenty of room in Rivet City." I reply, hoping that she stays with me. After everything we've been through I can't imagine not having her around anymore.  
"We'll see, Nel." She says, but I can tell she's doubtful.   
I can only hope that once she sees my home she'll agree to stay.


	2. Intransigent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cait and Nel go their separate ways for a brief amount of time. Nel finds herself in a bit of a predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still some back story for Penelope and Cait. Enjoy! <3

I've seen my share of gruesome things since I've become a slave, but I've never actually been behind any of them. I've seen men, women, and children of all ages get beaten to death or shot or worse. I've harmed people under orders of my owner, but I'd never had them on death's doorstep. I think the worst time was when they pit Cait and I against each other as entertainment and she told me to beat her until they were satisfied.  
I cried that night for the first time since being kidnapped. I felt horrible, but Cait kept telling me that she was proud of me and that I've got a mean right hook. I kept telling her that I was sorry.  
So, after all that seeing dead bodies shouldn't shock me, right?  
Wrong.  
I should have listened to Cait when she told me to wait in the barn and leave if she wasn't back by sundown, but... But after what felt like an eternity of waiting I left the small barn. I went right into the shack to find Cait because there's no way I could ever leave her behind. She would be the first to step up and tear apart the Capital Wasteland just to find me.  
"Cait?" I whisper once inside of the shack, my eyes scanning the immediate area.  
I don't see or hear anyone so I move in further, straining my ears for any sound that would alert me to the presence of another person. I stay low, walking along the back wall as quietly as possible. I inch closer and closer to the only doorway here, where the light of a lantern cast its dim light around the entire shack. My heart beats faster and faster as I get closer to the doorway. I'm not sure what I'll do if Cait is gone or dead.  
When I finally reach the doorway I gasp, my mouth falling open in shock. Cait stands in the corner of the room with a bloody baseball bat clutched in one hand. Her face and clothes are splattered all over with blood and... God chunks of something I cannot describe. She is breathing heavily and her usually vibrant green eyes are dark.  
My eyes slide down to the floor, seeing a man and a woman with their skulls misshapen from taking multiple blows from the bat in Cait's hand. If not for their bodies being almost untouched, I'd never be able to make out the genders of the two dead people laying before me. I will my eyes to move away from the grisly scene on the floor and move to Cait. I will my stomach to stop churning.  
"Cait?" I whisper again, my voice even softer than the first time.  
I watch as her head jerks, her eyes finding me and staring at me in confusion. Her lips move but no sound comes out and I notice for the first time that she is crying. My heart falls into my stomach and I immediately go to her side. Not once in my time with Cait have I seen her cry. For Cait to be crying... Something truly bad must have happened. I want to ask her why she's killed these people and why she's crying, but I can tell that she's in no condition to be speaking about it just yet.  
I gently grasp the bat in my hand and tug. Her grasp on it tightens for a moment before she releases it and allows me to set it aside. I put an arm around her and lead her into the front of the shack, bringing the lantern with us. I coax her into one of the two chairs and begin digging around the room. I get a bucket of clean water from the corner of the room and a rag. I bring it over to Cait and begin cleaning off her face and clothing as best I can.  
Cait's darkened eyes follow every move I make from cleaning her up to getting her something to eat and drink. She is completely silent as I work, and that's okay with me. I keep my lips sealed as well, allowing her to process everything that's happened. I know what it's like to be in shock and overwhelmed and scared. I respect her enough to leave her be for a while.  
"Nel." Her voice is soft and raspy and it breaks my heart.  
"Yeah?" I ask, watching as she wipes at her eyes with the back of her arm.  
"We need to leave, get you home." She says, her voice a little more powerful this time.  
"Are you sure? You can rest for a while before we start traveling again." I say, frowning a little bit, but she shakes her head.  
"I don't want to stay here. I want to leave." She says, getting to her feet.  
"Alright. Just let me grab some of this food, it'll do us some good to have it." I say, gathering up all of the food and drinks in the small shack.  
Cait disappears into the small back room, returning a moment later with the bat. I watch her shrug at me and walk out of the shack. I rush after her, following her down the path we'd taken to get here.  
"Nel, talk to me about somethin', I need to get me mind off of that mess back there." Cait says after about twenty minutes of walking in silence.  
"What do you want me to talk about?" I ask, counting the amount of rations we have and trying to figure out how much we should eat and drink make it last.  
"Anythin', really. Tell me about some more of your big words." She replies, and I finally look over at her.  
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, a troubled look on her face. I straighten up a bit, realizing that it's my turn to take care of Cait instead of letting her take care of me. I tap my chin and put a thoughtful expression on my face, earning an exaggerated sigh from my companion. My best friend.  
"Intransigent. refusing to agree or compromise..."  
-  
Our journey to Rivet City was a short one. We only stopped three times to sleep, and even then we'd barely slept. I talked most of the time, reciting ridiculous words to Cait and telling her their meanings. Sometimes she'd smile a little, but she mostly just nodded along and scanned the surrounding area for any threats. There weren't any threats, though. Besides the occasional radroach or mole rat. Cait would kill each of them and take the good bits off of them for us to cook later. I picked a few flowers and berries along the way, rambling on about how to tell which ones are poisonous.  
The closer we got to Rivet City, the more I told Cait about my mother and father. I told her that there's plenty of room for her to stay and plenty of food for her to eat and that she can work with my family and I in Dr. Li's lab. She laughed at this and said she isn't all for an intellectual pursuit. I agreed with her and said maybe she should be a guard.  
Now we're here and I am a ball of excitement. It feels like it's been eons since I've seen my home, since I've actually been inside. I look over at Cait, a huge grin spreading across my face.  
"This is it, I take it?" Cait says, one corner of her mouth turning up slightly.  
"It sure is. I can't wait for you to meet mother and father! They will adore you, Cait. We'll be able to get you set up with a job and a place right next to mine so we can see each other all of the time. The merchants here have some really nice clothes, we can get you some today, I'm sure..." I ramble as we make our way to the entrance. Cait listens quietly, gazing up at the hulking mass that is Rivet City.  
"Halt! State your name and business!" I hear a guard call out from his post at the entrance of the city.  
"My name is Penelope McGill, this is my friend Cait. I'm looking for my mother and father, Patricia and Donald." I reply, Cait and I coming to a stop a few feet away from the guard.  
"Penelope? Oh my God." The guards voice softens and they close the gap between us so that I can see their face.  
"Is that you, Jeffery?" I ask, recognizing the shock of black hair and equally dark eyes.  
"Sure is... God. Where have you been? We thought you died." He says, wrapping his arms tightly around me.  
"I'd... Rather not talk about it right now." I pat his back awkwardly and look to Cait. She raises and eyebrow. I shake my head a little bit and smile at Jeffery when he finally pulls away, "Where are my mother and father? Are they in the lab with Dr. Li?" I ask, hope coloring my cheeks and coating my voice.  
"You... How do you not know? You were the last person to see them alive. Harkness said that they found your body along with theirs, that it looked like you killed them and yourself." Jeffery says, looking absolutely puzzled.  
"What do you mean? We were attacked by raiders." I say, my stomach filling with dread and shock and sadness.  
I can't believe that my mother and father are dead... But what would one expect from raiders? All they do is rape, pillage, and murder. They're scum. They're fucking scum. I know now that this is not where I need to be. No. I need to be travelling this world, killing every raider to cross my path. And that's what I'll do. I'll kill every last one of them and show them how it feels to have your entire life ripped away from you.  
"Nel, you alright?" I can hear Cait's voice, but it's far away.  
I look to her through my hazy vision and try to shake my head, but I can't tell if I have or not. It's like I'm underwater because everything I hear is muffled and my body feels heavy and why can't I breathe? The world around me is hazy and red and I'm just so angry but I can't figure out how to breathe how can I fix this when I can't even breathe? I can hear someone calling my name over and over, yet I can't. I just know it's my name but I can't understand.  
Suddenly everything is black and quiet and I no longer feel like I am suffocating. I can feel my hand and feet and my body feels lighter. For a moment, I think I'm dead, but then I can hear Cait speaking and slowly the world comes back to me.  
I'm laying on my back, the bleak sky staring down at me. I turn my head until I find Cait's vibrant green eyes and I reach out to her. She takes my hand in hers and squeezes it, relief evident in her gaze.  
"I'm going to go get Dr. Li..." I can hear Jeffery again. I turn my head and find him, frowning slightly.  
"That won't be necessary." I say, tugging on Cait's hand until she gets the hint and helps me sit up.  
"Penelope, you just fainted." Jeffery says, his brow furrowed with worry.  
"And now I feel fine and I will be leaving." I say, my rage being replaced with numbness. Cait's gaze is filled with worry and I feel myself smile at her. She shakes her head at me, probably trying to convey that leaving would be a bad idea, but I don't care right now.  
"Penelope, I think-" Jeffery begins, but I don't let him finish.  
"I am leaving and you never saw me." I say sternly, not recognizing my own voice as I get to my feet and brush myself off.  
"I think we should at least rest for a bit, Nel." Cait says, leaning into my line of sight.  
"I'd rather not." I respond, looking away from her.  
"Please, Nel? I'd really like to rest and I don't want to back track at the moment." Cait persists, her eyes pleading with me.  
"Just for a few hours." I finally say, narrowing my eyes at her and Jeffery, "And I don't want anyone to know who I am. Got it?"  
"Right. I'll get you both a room in Weatherly for the evening. You can eat and sleep for a while and then be on your way. I won't tell anyone your name if you just tell me why you want things to be that way." Jeffery says, staring right into my eyes. I sigh and glance around nervously, licking my numb lips.  
"It'll be easier for me to leave if no one else knows I'm actually alive. There's nothing for me here anymore. My family is gone and I'm not the same person I was all those years ago." I say with a light shrug.  
Jeffery looks hurt for a moment and I know exactly why. He was my boyfriend before I was kidnapped. We spent a lot of time together and planned our entire lives' around each other. I can't imagine how he feels right now, hearing me say that there's nothing for me here, but he was just a schoolyard crush when I was fourteen. So much has happened in the past two years and I'm no longer sweet Penny. I've been used and abused and one of the only things that kept me going all that time is gone. I'm sure I'll feel guilty later, but right now I feel nothing.  
"Alright then, miss. Come with me." Jeffery says, the hurt on his face replaced by a cool air of authority.  
He turns away and begins walking back towards the entrance to Rivet City. Cait and I follow him inside and I stare around the place somberly. It's all exactly the same as it was two years ago. I old my breath as we walk past the corridor leading to the labs and the place where I used to live. I keep my eyes forward even after we pass it and slowly let my breath out. Cait glances at me and I nod at her, letting her know that I'm okay.  
When we get to Weatherly's Jeffery tells Joanne that we're just passing through and need a place to stay for the night. Joanne's eyes linger on me for a moment, probably almost recognizing me from the classes we had together. I avert my eyes, knowing that they'd be a dead giveaway to my identity if she got a good look.  
"Alright. Follow me." Joanne says after Jeffery hands her the proper amount of caps for the night. As Joanna leads us toward our room, I glance back at Jeffery to tell him thank you, but he's already walking away. I sigh and shake my head, coming to a stop behind Joanne and Cait.  
"Thank you." Cait says, ushering me into the room ahead of her. She closes the door quickly and turns around. Our eyes meet and I feel the feeling slowly come back into my body.  
I watch as a pain and grief similar to my own clouds her eyes once more. I watch as Cait takes a deep breath and crosses her arms over her chest tightly. I watch as she begins to buckle under the weight of everything, a feeling I am becoming acquainted with as well.  
I go to Cait and throw my arms around her, letting a sob tear through my body. I feel Cait's chest deflate as the air leaves it, her arms wrapping around me tightly. Our knees give out at the same time and we slide to the floor, clinging to one another tightly. I feel her hot tears fall onto the top of my head as my own tears soak her shoulder.  
We cry and cling to each other like this for what feels like an eternity. Once our sobs are hiccups and our tears have mostly dried up Cait scoops me up into her arms and carries me to the bed on the left side of the room. She sets me down gently and pulls the light blanket up to my shoulders. Before she can walk away I grab her arm.  
"Cait I need to ask you a question." I say, my voice hoarse.  
"What is it?" She replies, sitting down on the side of the bed.  
"Who were those people you killed?" I ask, hoping that I don't upset her much more than she already is.  
"I s'pose I owe you an explanation for that one," Cait says, sighing softly, "I'll start from the beginnin'. Me mum and da were real scum bags, beat me all the time. Broke me legs once when I tried to run away. Once I turned eighteen they sold me off to some raiders. I swore that I'd kill ‘em once I was free. And so I did." Cait has tears shining in her eyes and I reach out and take her hand, "It's not like I miss 'em or regret it, but... I think I'm just sad that there's no longer a chance for us to make up... They're gone forever and I'm happy that they won't hurt me or anyone else ever again, but now I'll never know if there was a chance for us to make up." A tear slips down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away, looking to me and smiling.  
"I'm so sorry, Cait." I say softly, squeezing her hand.  
"No need to feel sorry for me. I made me bed and now I'll lay in it." She says, squeezing my hand back, "So if you don't want to stay here anymore, where d’you want to go?"  
"I want to find those raiders again and kill them." I say, my mouth setting into a firm, determined line.   
"I don't think that'd be a smart move, Nel." Cait says, giving me a skeptical once over.  
"They killed my family, Cait! They deserve to die. All of them, every last one. And I want to be the one to dole out the punishment." Cait frowns at me as I speak, shaking her head slowly.  
"Since when did you get all blood thirsty, hmm? You want to go and kill a bunch of raiders because they killed your mum and da, but you've never killed anyone in your life. You've never even thought to raise your hand to anyone before now. Don't you understand that no matter how deservin’ the person on the recievin’ end is, you'll still be haunted by your actions?" Cait says.  
"I don't care! I'd rather be haunted by their ghosts than by the thought of them out there, walking around this Earth, while my parents are dead!" My voice rises a few octaves and tears fill my eyes.  
"Oh Penelope, would you listen to yourself for just a moment? This ain't you speakin', it's the grief!" Cait yells, rolling her eyes at me.  
"No it's not!" I yell back.  
"Fine, then! Go on ahead and take on all those raiders. I won't be standin’ by to watch you get yourself killed over somethin’ that happened years ago." Cait says, ripping her hand out of mine and getting to her feet.  
"You're such a hypocrite!" I grumble as I watch her go over to the bed on the opposite side of the room and flop down onto it.  
"I may be a hypocrite, but at least I'll live to see me next birthday." Cait responds, rolling over so that her back is to me.  
I huff and roll over as well, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to hold back the tears. She can go and kill her parents over something that happened years ago, but I'm not allowed to go after the people who murdered my parents? It's... It's preposterous. It's unfair.  
I don't care if Cait is there with me or not. I'll find a way to kill them by myself. I'll take care of business on my own and then I'll find her again and show her just how wrong she was about me. I can take care of myself.  
My thoughts begin to die down as my plan to kill all of the raiders plays over and over again in my mind. My eyes slip shut and my loyalty betrays my anger, causing me to wonder if Cait is okay or not.  
-  
In the end Cait and I went our separate ways. She told me that she'd stay in Rivet City for a few days to stock up on supplies before her journey to a place called the Commonwealth- but it was clear that she was also saying she'd be waiting to see if I change my mind and go with her. I just smiled and gave her a hug, telling her that I'd find her once I've done what I need to do. She gave me her baseball bat for protection, saying she'd get a hold of a gun sooner or later.  
Then, I left.  
I traveled around the surrounding areas of Rivet City. Before the war there was a huge city, now it's in ruins, but super mutants and raiders alike have made a home in the rubble. Instead of going through it I stuck to the outskirts, searching for a raider camp to target. After traveling for about eight hours I found one.  
The waiting was the hardest part of my journey to their camp, but my patience was rewarded when a small group of three raiders left the encampment and began traveling away from the city all together. I sneak behind them into the night, sighing with relief when they finally stop to rest. I watch as they eat and then the two men settle in for sleep. The woman goes to the edge of their small space with her rifle, keeping watch while her companions rest. After I think her companions are sleeping I wait thirty more minutes- just to be safe. Then, I make my move.  
As I followed them through the underbrush I gathered stones. Now, I throw those stones at a tree a few yards away. As human nature would have it, the sound of stones bouncing off of a tree piques the woman's attention. She gets to her feet and makes her way over to the tree, her rifle aimed and ready.  
My vision goes red as I watch her and thoughts of my mother and father float through my mind. The soft, rational voice inside my mind tells me that two wrongs don't make a right and that this is not what my mother and father would want. The much louder, angry part of my mind tells me that this scum deserves to die, that if I don't kill her that she will murder more and more people.   
I jump to my feet and swing the bat just as she turns around to face me. Her movement causes my aim to be off and the bat connects with the side of her neck. She cries out in pain and drops her rifle as she falls to the ground. She is hurt, but not dead. I'm sure that her companions have heard her cry out in pain and will be heading this way to investigate pretty soon, so I swing the bat again. And again. And again. The bat cracks against her bones, the sound echoing in my mind as the red fades away from my vision and my rational voice becomes louder. I know that the sound of her bones breaking beneath my bat will haunt me just as much as her accusing, dead gaze.  
I stare at her face in shock, my whole body becoming cold. My knees shake and my stomach churns and oh my God I just killed someone. My chest begins to feel likes its caving in as the hollow sound of footsteps and voices fill my ears. I turn numbly, seeing the two male raiders staring at me in confusion with their weapons raised. One of them says something and pulls the hammer back on his revolver. I open my mouth to ask him what he's said, but the sound never leaves. All I hear is gunshots and hot pain rips through my shoulder. The men fall to the ground, their dead eyes staring at me, matching the woman behind me.  
I look down to the hole in my shoulder in confusion, wondering how that happened. I begin swaying as my blood seeps through the clothes Jeffery had gotten for me so many hours ago. I forget all of my medical training and begin to panic. I can't remember if there's an artery in my shoulder or a major organ or something else that the bullet could've hit and caused monumental damage.  
I feel myself beginning to fall backwards, but before I hit the ground someone catches me and lowers me the rest of the way gently. I am momentarily confused, but then my vision is filled with red locks of hair and vibrant green eyes.   
Cait.  
Her name fills me with relief and joy. She saved me. She came for me. I begin laughing softly, laughing and crying because there's no better combination at the moment. Cait's eyes become clouded with anger as she begins speaking, her voice sounds far away and muffled for a second, but then I hear her clear as day.  
"Are you insane, Penelope? I told you that you could get hurt and you still went ahead with your stupid plan anyway!" Cait says as she rips away my shirt sleeve and begins poking and prodding my wound. I stop laughing and wince at the pain, staring at Cait so that I don't have to face the corpses that litter the ground nearby.  
"I'm... Sorry. I was imbecilic and acted out of anger. I should have listened to you." I say, my mouth forming the words without my brain telling it to.  
"You sure as Hell were!" Cait gripes, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and pouring it on the wound.  
I cry out in pain as the fuzziness and shock fade away, replaced by a firey pain in my shoulder. Cait shakes her head and begins bandaging my arm, packing the wound with cloth. I watch her work as tears stream down my face- from the guilt or the physical pain, I'm not sure.  
"I'm sorry, Cait, please don't hate me." I sob as she finishes up. As my mind and body come back to me I come to the realization that Cait is all I've got left in this world. She is the last person here who gives a damn about whether or not I live or die, whether I screw up my life or not.  
"I don't hate ya, Penelope. I just wish that I'd have done a better job of tracking you so I could have prevented this." She says, her angry eyes burning into mine.  
"You tracked me?" I ask.  
"Of course I track you," Cait laughs and gives me a look like I'm the most empty-headed person she's ever met, "You really think I'd let you waltz away on a mission to kill raiders on your own?"  
"I mean, I never thought-"  
"You should have a little more faith in me, Nel. Now, if you've learned your lesson, I'd like to be on me way to the other side of the country." Cait says, cutting me off.  
I close my eyes and sigh, trying to block out the images of the horrors I've faced today, the crime I committed. All I see is the dead eyes of a raider I'd killed- a woman, a person. And all I can think about is getting as far away from it as possible. I open my eyes and nod my head at Cait. I feel so tired and my arm is killing me, but I know that sleep will hold nothing but nightmares that I'm not yet ready to face.  
So with a guilty conscience and hope for a new life, I follow my best friend- no, my sister- down the path to a new life.


	3. The Most Giving Ghoul in Goodneighbor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nel loses Cait, but finds companionship in the most unlikely of beings.

"Just stay by me. We're gettin' close to that Diamond City place, I think." Cait whispers, squinting at the scribbled directions she got from a questionable man selling something called 'Jet.'  
"I think you missed a part of the directions." I whisper back, gripping the gun in my hand tighter to my chest. Cait glares at me from over her shoulder before continuing her evaluation of the directions to Diamond City.  
Our journey to the Commonwealth took us about three years, due to, well, me. We traveled okay for two weeks before my gunshot wound got too infected for me to carry on and treat on my own. We discovered a place called the Citadel, apparently home of the Brotherhood of Steel. I heard brief comments about them during my time as a slave, and none of them very nice.   
While they dislike anyone who isn't a normal human, they're not horrible people. They took Cait and I in while I was sick. Every time they would beat the infection I'd get some type of flu or stomach bug. It took them over a year to get me back to my normal health. One of their doctors said that the bullets could have been soaked in some kind of poison, or maybe I just have a low immune system. My bet is on poison, since I'd never had any health issues up until then.  
Our stay with the Brotherhood had been long, but interesting. A young boy named Arthur was very curious about Cait's accent and so he was around us a lot. He sometimes would sneak books into the infirmary for me to read, or he'd just read them to me. The look Cait had in her eyes was priceless. I hope that when we reach the Commonwealth she finds a real stand up guy to settle down with. I'd love a niece or nephew... Or a few.  
Long story short, I was sick for over a year and when I was better Cait refused to travel quickly. We stopped very often for her to check on me and let me sit for as long as she thought I needed. I fought it at first, but I eventually just had to give up because Cait is just the most cantankerous person I'd ever met- and I told her so on more than one occasion, earning a delightful laugh because the word cantankerous "is one of the dumbest words" Cait's ever heard.  
"I think if we make a right over there by that brick buildin' we'll be headin' in the right direction." Cait says, motioning to a building a yard or two ahead of us.  
I look around the rubble from the old world, admiring some of the still standing buildings. I find it amazing how the people before the nuclear annihilation were able to build such fantastic structures. I open my mouth to express this to Cait, but I hear a loud male voice and suddenly Cait has her hand pressed over my mouth and has me against the wall. I give her a puzzled look and she shakes her head.  
"I need you to run, right now. Okay? I think those are raiders." Cait says, glancing up. I follow her gaze and see a body hanging from a chain, a spike protruding from his mouth and bum. My eyes grow wide at the gruesome scene and Cait has to shake me to get my attention again, "Do you understand?" Cait says, her emerald eyes boring into my own. I nod and she releases me, giving me a little shove.   
I take off running and hear someone shout. I hear the scuffling of feet on concrete that signifies a fight. Someone cries out in pain and I look back, seeing Cait on the ground and three raiders surrounding her. I begin to stop, turning my body to go back and help her.  
"God damn it, run Penelope!" Cait screeches just as one of the raiders kicks her in the stomach.  
Cait's shouting hits me like her freight train and my legs begin moving without my permission. I turn away and sprint in the opposite direction. I hear laughter and footsteps, and then I hear nothing except for the sound of my breathing and footsteps. I slow my pace to walking and then creeping, looking around the bleak city in fear. Finally, when I'm sure that I'm alone, my feet stop moving and tears fill my eyes.  
I'm such a coward, running away like that instead of helping Cait. At least if they captured use we'd be together, but now she's in that horrible place all by herself and I'm... I'm so lost with out her. Cait knows everything, she's brave and strong and I'm just a coward. I lower myself to the ground, wrapping my arms around myself as the tears begin to fall. I rest my forehead on my knees and let the fear, loneliness, and sadness wash over me in waves.  
"Hey, kid? You alright?" A gravelly, almost husky voice says, causing me to nearly jump out of my own skin. When I bring my head up to look at the source of the voice my head cracks against the wall behind me and I wince, saying a colorful choice word as I rub the tender spot on the back of my head. The man, a ghoul, begins laughing.  
I glare at the ghoul, resting my hand on the pistol at my hip. Cait, along with Arthur and a few Brothers from the Citadel, taught me how to shoot. The ghoul smirks at me and crosses his arms. He's dressed in ridiculous clothes that remind me of the presidents we'd learned about from the old world in my history classes. All he's missing is the powdered wig.  
"Ah, lighten up kid. Learn to have a laugh at yourself every once in a while." He says and holds out a hand, "Name's John Hancock. But you can just call me Hancock." The ghoul winks at me.  
I narrow my eyes but grab his hand anyway, letting him pull me to my feet. I try to pull my hand away but he just gives me this look. I roll my eyes and huff out a sigh, just to make sure he knows that he's being a pain in my arse.  
"Penelope Norene Valeria McGill. But you can just call me Nel." I say, making my voice all sugar and spice and everything nice.  
Hancock laughs heartily and shakes my hand enthusiastically, "Well, Nel, what's a young lady like you hanging out in the streets all on your own at this time of day?" Hancock says, putting and emphasis on my nickname.  
"I..." I frown as I debate whether or not I should tell this stranger why I'm here. I bite my lower lip and shrug, looking away from him as tears fill my eyes from thinking of Cait.  
"Hey, don't cry kid. I ain't tryin' to be an asshole. Just makin' sure you got somewhere to rest your head and get a bite to eat. No funny business, unless you start actin' funny first." Hancock says, his voice softening as he releases my hand.  
"I lost my sister. Some raiders got her and she told me to run." I hiccup and wipe at my eyes with a frown.  
"Aw kid I'm sorry." Hancock says and actually sound genuine, "I'm the mayor of Goodneighbor, little town not too far from here. I'll put you up in a room there and get you some fresh clothes and food- free of charge." He continues, giving me a sincere look.  
"Yes." I say without thinking, because any place to rest is a good place right now. Who cares if Hancock turns out to be a total creep? Cait is probably dead by now, so who cares about what happens to me?  
"Alright, just follow me." Hancock says, turning and heading off towards an alley. I walk alongside him, staying subconsciously close out of fear and, well, habit. "How old are you anyway, kid? Fifteen?" Hancock says, giving me a sideways once-over.  
"I'm nineteen!" I reply, giving him an incredulous look and crossing my own arms.  
"How old are you? Two hundred years old?!" I counter, feeling a bit childish.  
"Good guess!" Hancock says and barks out a laugh.  
I raise an eyebrow at him and then shake my head, turning my attention elsewhere. The sky here seems to be permanently gray, but I imagine that there was a point on this Earth that the sky here was blue- like they describe in books from the old world. I can imagine the fresh air they describe too, not the stale air we have now. And green grass. I sigh softly as I think of all these things that I'll never get to have.  
"What're you all starry eyed for, kid?" Hancock asks, popping a mentat into his mouth.  
"Just... Wondering about the world before." I say with a shrug, figuring there's no point in lying.  
"Why're you so interested in that stuff?" He asks, looking puzzled.  
"I like to read and the only stuff I had back home was books from the old world. Medical books, romance novels, you name it." I reply, smiling a little bit, "I'm hoping once I settle down I'll be able to collect them again."  
Hancock nods thoughtfully for a moment before speaking, "I stay up in the Third Rail in Goodneighbor, plenty of books there. You can read 'em, if you want. God knows no one else will." He says, acting like it's not a big deal.  
"Thank you.." I say, speechless at all of his kind gestures.  
"Don't mention it, kid, really. Can't have everyone thinkin' they'll get a handout from me." He says with a sly wink.  
"Well then why'd I get one?"  
"One, 'cause you're a kid and you were crying in that alley at sundown. Two, 'cause I'm in a good mood." I raise an eyebrow at him and he smiles boldly at me, "Here we are. Welcome to Goodneighbor. We'll go on over and get you a room at Rexford. Once you've rested you can come and find me, we'll get you set up with a job if you'd like. I got connections kid, just let me know what you can do and I'll help you out." Hancock says as we walk through the lightly guarded gate to Goodneighbor.  
It's a lovely little town with buildings and merchants and... Ghouls. Just about everyone in this town is a ghoul, as far as I can see right now anyway. A few humans stand around, one of them in particular giving me a disgusted look. I raise an eyebrow at him and he turns away, storming off to some other part of the fenced in town. Hancock places a light hand on my upper back and leads me through the town.  
"Over there is the Third Rail, you can find me on the second floor. If anybody gives you any shit about going up there, just let me know." I look at him to see if he's joking, but he isn't so I stay quiet, "Over there is the Memory Den. Dr. Amari and Irma are always there. If you need any medication or whatever, there's your best bet."  
"A doctor? Like a lab and all that?" I ask, my eyebrows shooting up hopefully.  
"Yeah, pretty much. Why're you so interested?" Hancock glances at me as we take a turn down a separate alley.  
"I grew up working in labs." I reply with a shrug, composing myself and acting like it's no big deal.  
"I'll see if Dr. Amari could use some help around there." Hancock smirks at me as we approach a large building with a glowing sign that says "Hotel Rexford."  
Hancock leads me in and talks to a ghoul woman behind the desk. The woman glances at me and shrugs before grabbing a key and handing it to Hancock. She tells him which room and he winks at her before leading me away. We go up one flight of stairs and hang a right, coming up to a door marked as room two hundred and one.  
"Here it is, home sweet home. For now. Come find me when you've rested a bit and we can talk more." Hancock says, handing me the key to the room and walking off.  
I nod my thanks and unlock the door. I go inside and find a working shower and a bed. Once I'm clean and feeling completely exhausted, I let my head hit the pillow. Dreams of Cait control my mind the entire night.


	4. Enter the Merc!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope's been in Goodneighbor for two years and is looking for someone to travel around the Commonwealth with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the present day! Enjoy <3

I stroll through Goodneighbor, my hand painted flyers clutched to my chest so that they don't blow away. It's been two years since my arrival to the Commonwealth and Goodneighbor. Hancock set me up with a job in the Memory Den with Dr. Amari. She lets me do as much research as I please, as long as I help her when she needs it. So far she likes my works and says she looks forward to more of it, but I've run out of good material in the immediate area. Usually I'll go on my own to get supplies or books, but I've cleaned out every place I'm comfortable with moving to. Dr. Amari gave me enough caps to pay someone to take me deeper into the Commonwealth to search for more technology, supplies, and books.  
And so here I am, handing out flyers with a meager pay written on it. Most of the people around here scoff at me and tell me just to have Hancock go with me, but he's the mayor and I'd hate to bother him with this. People call me his pet because he let me move into the Third Rail with him, gave me my own full room and lets me decorate it however I want. He even let me put most of his books in there so that I could read them whenever I wanted.  
I've gone everywhere I could think of and handed out flyers to every person I've come across, but no one has taken an interest in the job. I sigh as I approach the Third Rail, deciding that I deserve a drink to go with my contemplating. I go over to the bar once I'm inside and tell Charlie to just give me a beer. He hands it over and is on to his next customer. I sigh and make my way to the back room settling down in a chair at the far end of the room, away from the guy sipping whiskey. He hardly glances at me as I set my beer down and stare at my flyers. I know the pay is pretty low for the amount of work, but... It's all Amari would give me and I really want to get out there and discover more technology instead of staying locked up in Goodneighbor.   
I roll my eyes and snatch up my beer. I get to my feet and toss the flyers on the chair before stomping out of the bar and up to my room. I finish my beer and then plop down onto my bed, falling right to sleep.  
-  
The following morning I'm up early and heading to the Memory Den to do some work with Dr. Amari. Yesterday she told me that she has some files I can sort until I am able to go on my adventure in the Commonwealth. I know it's just busy work since I've literally done everything else she can think of. When I walk inside Irma waves at me and I smile at her.  
"Oh, dear, there's a man in the back looking for you." Irma says as she flips through her magazine with a look of boredom.  
"A man? Do you know who he was?" I ask, hope filling my chest as I think that he may be someone that I gave a flyer to.  
"I didn't catch his name, just sent him in the back and told him to wait for you." Irma yawns.  
I take a deep breath and try to contain my excitement as I go to the back where the lab is. Upon walking in I notice Dr. Amari working in her usual area, occasionally glancing at the back corner. I follow her eyes and find a man with a green scarf and a torn up tan duster. A green cap sits over his butterscotch colored hair. His bright blue eyes slide across the room and land on me. I smile at him and approach him, noting the folded up piece of paper in his hand and the rifle strapped to his back. His striking features take me off guard as he approaches me.  
"You Penelope?" He asks.  
"No. I mean yes." I sigh as I feel my face heat with my blush of embarrassment, "Just call me Nel. You here about the job?" I ask hopefully, trying to sound cool and collected and in charge.  
"Yeah. One hundred and twenty five caps, huh? That it?" He says, raising his eyebrows at me.  
"Well, yeah." I say with a shrug.  
"Bump it up to two hundred and fifty caps and you've got yourself a gun." He says, crossing his arms to let me know that he won't be budging on his decision.  
"Well..." I quickly calculate my meager earnings and the amount I've already saved up, "I'll give you the other half after we get back. We'll split all the loot, too. That good?" I ask, tugging on a loose strand of my long brown hair.  
"Fine by me. Name's MacCready. When did you want to head out?" He asks, his face becoming a little more friendly.  
"Um.. I need to change and grab my bag, but then we can go." I say, glancing at Dr. Amari who nods at me.  
"Right. I'll meet you at the Third Rail." He says.  
I step out of the lab and lead him to the door with a small smile, "I live there, so that's perfect."  
"You live at the Third Rail?" He asks me incredulously as we walk through town.  
"Yup. It's a pretty nice set up." I reply.  
MacCready shakes his head and lets out a soft huff as we enter the Third Rail. I motion for him to follow as I walk up the stairs. I hear his boots clomping up the stairs behind me, following me to my room. I go inside and dig through my things, throwing clothes into a bag. I can feel his eyes burning into my back as I straighten up my room and grab another outfit to change into.  
"Could you wait outside while I change?" I ask, turning to face him.  
"Right." He says and I think I catch a glimpse of a blush spreading across his cheeks before he can turn away.  
Once the door is shut I put on the clothing I'd recently purchased just for this trip. It's a really nice leather jacket, a red tank top, and some jeans and boots. Cait would have liked this outfit, she always expressed her love for leather. I sigh as I think of her, my heart filling with sadness as I wonder where she's at now. I shake away these thoughts and the sadness, though, saving it for another time.  
I open the door and smile at MacCready, leading him across the hall to where Hancock lounges on his couch. He smiles at me as I approach and raises an eyebrow when he catches sight of MacCready.  
"Hey, kid! Take it you found someone to take you out for tech and books?" Hancock asks, getting to his feet.  
"Yeah, this is MacCready." I say walking past Hancock to get a look at the books still in here, making sure I note the titles so that I don't bring back the same ones.  
"Yeah, I know him." I glance over to see Hancock towering over MacCready with a scowl, his lips moving but I can't hear the words coming out.  
"Hancock?" I say, cocking an eyebrow at him and walking back over to where he and MacCready stand.  
The blue eyed man stands stiffly and gives me a bit of a pleading look. I giggle a little bit, imagining Hancock's threats. He's been known to... Be extremely harsh towards anyone I plan on spending any amount of alone time with. In my time here in Goodneighbor, Hancock has become a father figure to me.  
"We're leaving. I'll bring back some mentats for you." I say, grabbing MacCready's arm and steering him out the door before Hancock can say anything else to him.  
"What's the mayor's deal?" MacCready says once we're out of the Third Rail.  
"He can be a bit over-protective. He's acted as a father to me for the past two years." I say and shrug as we exit Goodneighbor. I pull out the map I'd bought from Daisy a few days ago.  
"You have a map?" MacCready says and laughs.  
"Why are you laughing? I don't want us to get lost." I reply, squinting at the small print, "Besides, I've mapped out all of the places I'd like to hit on this trip."  
"All you have to do is tell me where you want to go and I'll take you there. I know the area. very well." MacCready says, sounding a bit conceited.  
"Well, no offense, but I don't know you well. I'd like to keep the insurance." I say, glancing away from my map long enough to give him a look, "Now, I've gone as far North as the Cabot House. So we'll go past there and hit up Greentech, Kendall, Wattz, then the prep school, and Easy City Downs." I say, looking up at him with an expectant look.  
"So you're paying me two hundred and fifty caps to go all over the damn place? A week long journey at least?" MacCready says, his eyebrows shooting upward.  
"And all the loot you could want." I say, clutching the map tightly and smiling at him hopefully.  
"Are you serious?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at me. I deflate and drop my arms at my sides in defeat.  
"Look, it's all I've got to give, okay? Any caps we find... Ammunition... Anything, you can take it, okay? I'll even give you half of my earnings when we come back here and I'm working in the lab again. Just... Please don't leave." I say, pleading with him.  
MacCready stares at me, his gorgeous blue eyes searching my face. I pray that he agrees to come with me. I don't think I'd be able to handle the disappointment if he decided against the trip now. Finally, MacCready rolls his eyes and rubs the back of his neck.  
"Alright fine. We can go. Do you at least know how to shoot a gun?" He says, rolling his shoulders and looking pretty annoyed.   
"Yeah, I have this." I say, grinning at him and pulling out the small revolver I got from Cait all those years ago.  
"And you can aim? Defend yourself?" He raises an eyebrow at me.  
"I can handle myself, you're just here as back-up because all of these places could be overrun." I say and roll my eyes at him, "Anyway. Why don't you lead me to Greentech now?"  
MacCready mutters something and walks ahead of me, "Just do what I say and we'll be fine." He grumbles at me as we walk down the road. I resist the urge to blurt out the first witty remark to pop into my head and silently follow behind him. It's been so long since I've snuck around the wasteland so I'm a bit clumsy for the first three hours of our journey, earning dirty looks from MacCready every time I alert a radroach or feral ghoul of our presence.  
We reach Greentech by the end of the day. I sit at the base of a tree, staring up at MacCready as he climbs up to a higher branch to scope out the place. His lean, muscled frame stretches over the thick branch as he lays across it on his stomach. He tips his hat back, exposing his forehead and more of his butterscotch colored hair. In the dying light of the sun, his hair looks darker. I find myself thinking that he's attractive, something that surprises me more than anything. I've never found myself thinking of anyone, male or female or ghoul, attractive.  
MacCready eventually sighs and sits up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and climbing down from the tree. He settles down next to me, careful to keep far enough away from me so that we don't touch. I raise my eyebrows at him, hoping that he has good news for me.   
"So, what did you observe?" I ask when he gives me a blank look.  
"Did I what?" MacCready asks, looking puzzled.   
"Observe: to see, watch, perceive or notice. Verb." I recite as if I'm reading it straight from one of the singed dictionaries I've read a million times.  
"Right." MacCready says, sounding slightly annoyed, "Lots of synths and a few raiders. I think we should just head to the hospital instead."  
"Why? I'm aware that no matter where we go there will be raiders or mutants, so why skip Greentech? There is so much technology in there, I just know it." I say with a deep frown.  
"Have you ever fought a synth?" MacCready asks, cocking an eyebrow at me.  
"No, but I don't thin-"  
"Exactly. So how would you know any better?" He snaps.  
My face heats up with an angry blush at his tone. He could have simply just given me an explanation and be done with it, but of course he wouldn't. He's a hired gun and probably has a short amount of patience with anyone he does not respect. Of course. I don't know why I expected anything else. His expression falls and he sighs, sitting back and looking away from me.  
"I'm not trying to be an asshole. I'm just trying to get it through your head that synths are something you don't want to mess with unless you have no other choice. I'm not trying to screw up your plans, I'm trying to keep both of us alive." He says after a moment of silence. When I don't respond he leans forward to look at me, his mouth set in a hard line.  
"Fine. We head for Kendall first thing in the morning." I grumble, crossing my arms.  
"Great. I'll take first shift. You get some rest, I'll wake you in a few hours." He says, looking relieved that I gave him the answer he was hoping for.  
"You sure? I'm not that tired." I reply.  
"I'm sure. Get some rest. We've got another long walk ahead of us tomorrow."  
I sigh, not wanting to argue with him anymore. I set all my things to the right of me so that it is in between MacCready and I. I lay down with my head on my bag and close my eyes. The smell of stale air and gunpowder reminds me a little bit of Cait. I wonder where she is and if she misses me as I drift off to sleep.

MacCready~  
I glance over at the girl laying on the ground next to me, her full pink lips slightly pursed as she dreams. I don't know what I was expecting when I found those flyers, but it certainly was not this know-it-all brunette. I'm still not sure if I regret taking this job after all, though. The pay for the amount of work isn't all that great, but how could I say no with those piercing eyes of hers staring into my soul?  
I mean how can a mungo be so damn gorgeous? How can someone so... So infuriating be so beautiful? With her thick hair the color of leather and eyes the color of the sky during a radiation storm. I've never seen anyone so beautiful... Except for Lucy, but this is a different kind of beauty. Lucy was the kind of beauty you noticed right away, a traditional kind of beauty. But this...This is a subtle kind of beauty that slowly hits you the longer you stare at it. And boy, it had hit me like a freight train when she begged me to stay and help her.  
And so here I am, toting a know-it-all brunette around the Commonwealth for a meager amount of caps and some loot. It's not even guaranteed that'll be good loot either... Damn it, what in the Hell have I gotten myself into?


	5. Articulate Insults

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope does the rescuing for once.

Penny peers through the cracks in the debris, cradling her hurt arm to her chest. She thought for sure the fall would have killed her, but since she's survived that bit... Well, she thinks the Deathclaw will be the end of her now. A creature she'd studied so many times, a creature she thought she could avoid after years of running from them. Of course it'll be the one to take her out.  
As she looks around the room, doing her best to stay still and silent, she finally finds MacCready. He's a floor above her now, his rifle aimed at the beast. She's always hated death, especially when it's brought upon the wasteland's creatures. But she knows that if she's to survive this she must push those thoughts and feelings aside.  
She watches as her companion takes a deep breath like he always does before firing off a shot. She prepares herself to make a run for the door. Just when he is about to shoot, a raider they must have missed runs up behind MacCready, shoving him hard. Penny's mouth opens in a silent scream as MacCready lands with a loud thud. He doesn't move at all and Penny fears that he is dead.   
She looks up, not able to see where the raider disappeared to. She decides there's no time to worry about that right now. Not with the Deathclaw gazing hungrily at MacCready's limp body. She knows she needs to act now, but she's not entirely sure how she will be able to pull this off without getting herself or MacCready killed.  
When the Deathclaw begins stomping its foot and huffing menacingly, Penny lets out a battle cry and charges right past it. The Deathclaw roars, making Penny's heart hammer anxiously. She wills herself to move faster as she sprints towards her friend. As she approaches him she spots his rifle to the left of him.   
She makes a sharp turn, scooping up his rifle as she goes. She trips and stumbles a little, but she is able to regain her footing rather quickly. She makes another sharp turn to the left and looks behind her. The Deathclaw has completely forgotten about MacCready at this point and is running right at her.   
"Shit shit shit." Penny mutters, rasising the rifle. She takes a deep breath and reminds herself that the best way to take down a Deathclaw is to shoot at its legs.  
She fires off a few shots and takes off sprinting again. The Deathclaw roars and she can only hope she managed to hit its leg. She repeats this process, shouting at MacCready occasionally in an attempt to wake him up. It doesn't work. She prays that he is not dead and just knocked unconcious for the moment.  
Just when Penny thinks she is about to collapse, she hears a loud thud. She looks back and slows her pace, seeing the Deathclaw on the ground. She approaches the creature cautiously, being sure not to get to close to it. The beast growls up at her and she jumps back nervously.  
She knows that it's in pain and can't do much for the moment. She knows that the right thing to do would be to put it out of its misery, but she's afraid that she may not have the stomach for it. Usually MacCready is the one to handle this part of their journey. He would always wait until Penny is out of sight of it so that she doesn't have to hear or see it.  
But this time MacCready isn't able to help her. She needs to do it herself and tend to him. The longer she contemplates and hesitates, the greater chance MacCready won't wake up.   
Penny takes a deep breath and approaches the beast once more. It growls at her again, snapping at her viciously. She winces, but stands her ground. For MacCready's sake.   
She braces the rifle against her shoulder and aims right between the Deathclaw's eyes. She places her finger over the trigger, her stomach churning nauseatingly.  
"I'm so sorry." She whispers, pulling the trigger.   
The shot rings out throughout the entire building and then, it is completely silent. Penny breathes heavily as her heart nearly beats right out of her chest. She drops the rifle and runs to MacCready. She drops to her knees at his side and rolls him onto his back.  
She notices that his shoulder feels odd. Then, she notices the bruise forming on his chin. She figures his arm may be broken or dislocated, but that is something that can wait. Right now she needs to focus on figuring out if he's got a head injury.  
She feels his head and neck, searching for any cuts or bumps. She finds a large bump on the back of his head. She frowns a little, gently setting his head down once more. She digs through his pockets, knowing that he's got to have that little flip lighter he's always using to light up his cigarettes.  
When she finally finds it she props his head up slightly on her bag and flips open the lighter. She leans forward and holds open one of his eyelids. She watches as his pupils respond normally to the light change. A very good sign.   
"Alright, Robert." Penny uses his first name in an attempt to annoy him into conciousness, "I'm going to find a way out of here. You really need to wake up."   
When he doesn't wake up she sighs and gets to her feet. She grabs his rifle, doing her best to ignore the Deathclaw's dead gaze as she passes it. She can barely stand the guilt of it all. Tears fill her vibrant green eyes and she makes her way around the room, searching for a way out.   
"Don't be a cry baby, Penelope." She mutters, scolding herself, "Just focus on getting out of here. You did what needed to be done."   
Penny finds a terminal and locked door in the far corner during her ramblings. She goes to it, trying to figure out the password to unlock the damn thing. She gets locked out once... Twice... And three times.  
"Jesus, Penelope, you are so stupid!" She exclaims, running a hand through her thick curls, "Just focus, you need to focus..." She mutters, trying once more to unlock the terminal.  
"Are you seriously talking to yourself?"   
Penelope nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of her companion's voice. She whirls around, her hand against her pounding heart. She could laugh and cry at the sight of him in this very moment. He's got a bruise on blossoming on his jaw and his arm is hanging at an odd angle.  
"Goodness, you nearly scared the life out of me." Penny says, laughing as she begins settling down.  
"Yeah, I get that a lot." He winks at her, "I took a nasty fall didn't I?"   
"You got that right." Penny replies, turning back to the terminal to work on cracking the code once more, "You may have a concussion. If so, it's a minor one so there's no reason to worry there. I'll just have to keep an eye on you for a while. Oh, and your arm may be broken or dislocated."   
The terminal buzzes, locking Penny out again. She groans and bangs her head against the monitor in frustration. This is the first time she's been unable to unlock one of these things in quite some time.  
"We will need to find another way out." She grumbles, straightening up and glaring at the damned piece of garbage.   
"Hold on, now." MacCready says, elbowing Penny out of the way, "Let me give it a go."  
Penny rolls her eyes, highly doubting that he would be able to get it. Especially since she was unable to do so herself. She steps aside for him though, if only just to humor him.  
"And there... We... Go." MacCready says, grinning at Penny cheerily as the terminal unlocks. He clicks the "open door" button, and makes a grand gesture at it with his good arm.  
"How in the..." Penny trails off, "Gah. Never mind that. Let's just get our things and find a safe place to hole up for the night." She grumbles.  
Penny grabs her giant bag of supplies and makes her way to the door. MacCready holds out his good hand, eyeing his rifle slung over Penny's shoulder.  
"I don't think so." She says as she whisks past him, "There's no way you'll be able to shoot this thing with one injured and useless arm."  
"I guess you've got a point, but I don't think you'd be able to pull the trigger either."   
Penny glares over her shoulder at him as they creep through the dark and quiet city. She wants to snap at him and remind him that she's the one that took out that Deathclaw back there. She also wants to remind him that she's the one who risked her own life to save his, so a little gratitude is in order.   
But instead of saying any of that, she keeps her mouth shut. It wouldn't be worth it to argue with him right now. Not when there could be raiders or mutants within earshot. The last thing she wants to do today is kill another creature.   
\---  
After sneaking out of the city without incident, the pair finally finds a little home on the outskirts to hide in. Penny lights a couple of candles in the kitchen, near the back door but out of sight enough so that they'd have a headstart on anyone intruding.  
"I'm starving." MacCready complains, "And my arm is killing me."  
Penny sighs, and grabs one of the sleeping bags she brought. She lays it down and motions for MacCready to lay down. He sits on the sleeping bag and looks up at her expectantly.  
"Lay back." She instructs.   
He gets on his back and Penny bends down. She positions his arm at and angle and pulls on it hard. MacCready groans as she places her foot against his torso for leverage. She makes a face, pulling as hard as she can manage until she hears a clunk.   
A string of particularly vulgar words leave MacCready's lips. She rolls her eyes, recalling that Cait didn't even react this terribly when her arm had to be put back in the socket. But this is Potty Mouth Robert.  
"Your vulgar language only proves how inarticulate you are." Penny says as she starts fastening a sling for him out of one of her old lab coats.  
"Oh yeah? Well how's this for articulate. You're a hubristic, intransigent, supercilious, pretentious asshole!" MacCready shouts, holding his arms against him.  
"I'm impressed, but you still used a nasty word. I think a more articulate insult would be troglodyte or simpleton would've done just fine." She smirks, "Sit up."  
MacCready glares at her as he sits up. Penny smiles sagely and gets the sling on him. He hisses at the sharp pain in his shoulder as his arm settles into the sling.   
"Have any whiskey?" He asks.  
"Nope, but this will work just fine." She says, pulling a stimpack out of her bag.  
Before MacCready can protest, she stabs him with it. He winces again, pulling away from her roughly. She laughs and grabs her own sleeping bag, laying it out across from him. She lays in it, facing away from him.  
"You know you're really mean sometimes, right?" Penny says after five minutes of silence.  
"Oh, come on Penny. I always say stuff like that when I'm hurt. It's nothing against you. I promise." He replies, sitting up.  
"That doesn't make it an okay thing to do." She snaps, "I was only trying to help you."  
"I know. I'm sorry, okay? It won't happen again."  
"Whatever." Penny mutters.  
"I really appreciate you fixing me up and taking out that Deathclaw. I know you don't like doing stuff like that. But I'm really glad you did it anyway." He says, reaching out to tap her foot with his good hand.  
Penny rolls over and looks at him. She searches his face for any signs of hatefullness or sarcasm, but she finds that he's actually being earnest for once. She smiles and sits up, holding out her arms to him.  
"Hug it out?" She suggests.  
"I dunno, Penny." MacCready replies, turning red as a beet.  
"Please?"  
"Fine. Get over here." MacCready rolls his eyes, holding his arm out.  
Penny giggles and scoots her bag up next to his. She wraps her arms around him tightly, careful not to bump his hurt shoulder or arm. His good arm wraps around her waist tightly and he leans into her. She closes her eyes, enjoying the contact. She and Cait would always hug it out after arguments. It just makes it easier to forgive.  
"Now, please don't fall from fars heights like you did. I was close to just curling up in a ball and crying, you know." Penny jokes, pulling away to find him still blushing.  
"I wouldn't have fallen if y-" MacCready stops himself short and sighs, laying back with his arm behind his head, "I'll try to be more careful if you do."  
"Deal." Penny grins, laying back as well.  
They both drift off soon enough, Penelope's hand finding its way to MacCready's chest.


End file.
